Eastern North Carolina is a great snap shot of the “melting pot” that is the American populace. Sure, natives of NC often stick to their home terf, but many of us also have neighbors who have come from every corner of the nation, it seems. And who could blame these transplants? This region we call home has much to offer. Especially if you are seeking something quieter than the metropolitan lifestyle. I recently played for a group of such folks, many of them from the DC area, in search of that quiet living.
I play this event biannually in the River Landing community near Wallace, NC. The evening is dedicated to making these folks feel welcome here in NC. And what better way than with some live music? Music is such an effective way to relax folks. Especially in situations where we’re unacquainted with each other. It’s that language that goes beyond our regional, cultural, differences and creates the vibe of something festive. Maybe we as a society disagree on much, but good music will reach across those lines. Side note: it seems to me music from the Motown era especially has this effect. I always include a few of those stellar tunes on my list, and I’m pretty stoked about the way they come across in my acoustic bluesy, country, rockish style.
This makes the fifth of these welcome events I’ve played but this one had a little bonus included. I typically play these gigs solo but this time I was able to include a young man who’s been a student of mine several years now. Dan Scalf pulled duty as a professional “Side Man”, as we call it in the music biz. He helped beef up (that could be a pun since Dan’s family owns Kornegay Hereford Farms, ha haaa) the rhythm on percussion and acoustic guitar. It is a proud moment for any teacher when we witness the skills we invest in students being put to good use.
So, a salute goes out to the coordinator of the River Landing event, Andrew Odom, for recognizing the good vibe live music can have on a crowd that just needs to feel welcome. I will leave the reader with a recommendation: check out the song “The Feeling Music Brings“ by the Tudeschi Trucks Band. Enjoy!